


Switched

by ObsidianButerfly



Category: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: AU, Drabble-ish length chapters, Gen, How the manga might have gone if FWR hadn't chosen Fai, Minor OC involvement, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2018-06-15
Packaged: 2018-11-01 04:35:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 6,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10914459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObsidianButerfly/pseuds/ObsidianButerfly
Summary: He would have preferred having a pawn with magic but his divinations had shown how that would only lead to failure. So, being the smart man that he was, Fei Wang Reed reached out for the orphaned son of the miko and the warrior instead. The Witch could have the magician as her pawn.





	1. Hitsuzen Favors the Bold?

Clow Reed’s heir rewound time, just as Fei Wang Reed had intended. Fei thought to reach out for the magician before hesitating. His divinations had revealed much to him and so he had _seen_ what the future held for him if he used one of the Twins of Misfortune. The label had been of his own creation, a myth brought painstakingly to life to ensure that whoever survived would be his blind follower. He had wanted a pawn with magic but now he knew better. Choosing that path would only lead to failure. Such a pity that all his effort would go to waste.

No matter. He knew that the orphaned son of the miko and the warrior would grow up to be a ruthless warrior himself. The ninja-to-be would be much better suited to his purposes anyway. Fei Wang had no doubt that the Witch would seize the opportunity and reach out to the remaining twin- he had already killed the one in the tower by the time his divinations had yielded results- and bring the boy into her fold. But he would get to the warrior-to-be. That boy, after all, had never had the chance to see his parent’s murderer.

A rift in the fabric of reality itself appeared to reveal the burning lands of Suwa where the sole survivor of that once prosperous village raged against the endless hordes of demons. Fei Wang Reed grinned to himself as he created a working to banish his summons. The Tsukoyomi would never be able to get to the boy in time.

With his opponents vanishing into wisps of blackened smoke, his rabid pawn turned around to face the rift and Fei Wang nearly crowed in delight. Yes, this was working out perfectly. Hitsuzen was on his side.


	2. Promise of Revenge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters will get longer as the story progresses, I swear.

He had chosen to save Fai! His precious brother, his better half. He had picked Fai and yet… he was gone…

Yuui screamed and raged, kicking at the walls as he clawed at his scalp. The snow was stained red with the blood rapidly pooling around his brother’s broken body like pair of wings. Fai’s sightless eyes stared up at the grey cloud riddled heavens as his soul ascended and Yuui continued to scream. That man… he killed him. Yuui had begged him to save his brother and yet that man with the bat-insignia had stolen him instead. He pushed Fai from the tower and now he was gone. His brother was dead, dead nevercomingbackdead...

The curse of the twins had consumed their entire world before it was finally broken and now he was the only one left. He was free to leave but…what use would it be if his brother was dead?

Yuui beat his skeletal fists beat against the frozen walls, uncaring of the warm blood splattering across the grey stones just like it stained the snow beneath his brother’s body. He screamed and screamed and screamed at the unfairness of it all. His brother was dead. Fai was dead. That man had killed him. Even though he had promised that Fai would be safe, he _killed_ his brother!

Unable to handle the stress, his starved body collapsed next to Fai’s and Yuui sobbed, eyes burning and yet unable to shed a single tear.

“Fai…” he croaked, reaching for his brother with a mangled hand. “I’m so sorry.”

That man stole his brother’s life. Even if took him all of eternity, Yuui would escape from the valley and return the favor.

 


	3. Different, yet still the Same

Yuuko watched through a small, magical mirror as Ashura opened a rift in space to the forbidden valley and pulled the child into his world. His twin’s corpse, of course, had to be left behind. Ashura only had so much power at his disposal and despite being a formidable mage in his own right, Ashura wasn’t strong enough to get them both out.

Hitsuzen had played out differently than she had expected. Fei Wang Reed’s decision to bring the warrior-to-be on his side had sent a steady stream of ripples through all of time and space. Though he had tried so hard to set it on a course to his liking, Fei Wang had unwittingly steered everything towards the path of uncertainty. The future was once again just the way it always meant to be.

She watched for a moment as the king coaxed the little magician to walk through the rift with him before turning away. Shaking her head, she sent a silent prayer for the safety of all the children who were bound by fate to go on the inevitable journey. Behind her, the king tried to get the boy to reveal his name and Yuuko bowed her head. Maybe… things might turn out more in their favor than before.

“My name is Fai.” The boy’s response came out as a hoarse whisper, dry and raspy like the crinkling of a parchment when set aflame. Yuuko bit back a bitter smile as she glanced at the mirror, observing the little blond wraith as he was swaddled in a fluffy coat. Maybe… some things were not meant to change, no matter how many ripples went out into the world.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite the fact that Fai (or Yuui) does not blame himself for his twin’s death, he still ends up taking his name, even if his reason for doing so is so that Fai can avenge his brother, rather than letting him have a chance at life once more.
> 
> Any thoughts on how Kurogane’s life might have changed now?


	4. Harden my Heart

Heart heavy with grief and regret, Tomoyo watched him revel in the blood he shed. Grinning like a madman, Kurogane painted his surroundings crimson with his slaughtered opponents. Tomoyo held no sympathy for the assassins sent to kill her but seeing him find such joy in taking their lives made her want to weep. She had tried for so long to pretend that there was still something in the crimson-eyed man that could be salvaged but seeing him now— she suppressed the shudder crawling down her spine and evenly met the warrior’s gaze. She searched his features for a hint of the lost little boy she had found all those years ago, amidst the ruins of his destroyed village, making promises to the corpse of his mother and found none.

It had been impossible to get him away from the shrine without helping him preserve the body of his mother inside the shrine. Even with such a spell decay would have set within a decade if not for the pearl white feather with intricate markings that had fallen from the sky. Using it as an anchor for the spell, Tomoyo had managed to make good on her word. In all her years, she had never imagined she would ever use her magic for such a despicable act and yet, she had done just that. All to save the boy she had sworn to take under her wing.

Looking down at him amidst the carnage, Tomoyo did not allow for even a hint of emotion to show as she came to a decision. She had tried to put it off for as long as she could but she could see now that it had been a mistake. Keeping him with her in Nihon was not going to teach him what he needed to learn. Tears burned against her lids, but she dared not let them fall. For his own good, it was time to send him away. After all, the witch had foretold what Hitsuzen demanded. Being a priestess herself, Tomoyo knew she could never stand in its way, even if she stood to lose him forever by banishing him from Nihon.

She knew what his wish would be. She had _seen_ it in her dreams a long time ago and yet thinking about it still hurt. Hardening her heart, she struggled to push away the pain she felt at the look of utter betrayal on his face as she cursed him. Summoning his prized family sword, she cast him away.

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's how Kurogane gets exiled. The effects of FWR's are beginning to show although they will become more evident as the chapters progress. Any guesses on what Kuro might have to give up, now that Tomoyo has taken Ginryuu from him before his banishment?


	5. Animal I have beome

Ashura watched the blood dribble down his fingers, observing the corpses of his subjects that littered the halls of his castle with a sense of detachment. Making his way towards the throne room, he allowed a rictus of a smile to form across his face. It appeared as though Hitsuzen still intended for him to be a monster. Within the span of an hour, he had slain every soul within the building, from servants to cooks, to guards to court magicians to nobles and their families. The healers and the patients, the children and the elderly. Not a single being had been spared and the proof of it was in the blood flowed down the corridors and stairways like crimson rivers. The crimson liquid decorated the walls and hallways of his castle.

Chuckling bitterly at his helplessness in the face of insanity, Ashura slowly approached a fallen noble and dragged his corpse over to his seat. Carefully arranging the body in place, he patted the man’s chalk-white face with his claw-fingered hand. Moving over to the next, he repeated the process, murmuring useless words of comfort to their lifeless carcasses as he positioned everyone the way they normally behaved when court was in session. Only… everyone was bathed in blood and he was a monster and he had magic and he was powerful and unstoppable and…and he had killed _everyone_!

Not a soul left alive.

 To think, he had been turned into this monster out of the kindness of a twisted man who had only wanted to ‘save’ his life. The blood of a vampire, taken from an unwilling donor and fed to an unknowing receiver, had triggered the curse that followed the vampire line. The abomination that arose from such a bonding of blood was destined to a slow descent into madness. A thirst for blood that could only be sated by killing everyone and everything around them. And here he was, a monster that had destroyed them all.

Except, perhaps, for that boy, and his apprentice. The boy that he had rescued from that cursed valley and the apprentice he had coaxed the boy into accepting. All done for a promise made to the Witch of Dimensions. The boy, she had promised, would deliver him from his fate. The apprentice had just been added insurance on Ashura’s part, an extra incentive for the boy to do what needed to be done when the time came.

He had sent them out on a wild goose chase after a nonexistent trail of the monster but he could sense them returning now. Careful to conceal his aura, the monster lay in wait for them, ready for it next and final kill. With those two dead, there would be none left strong enough to question his power. He would be the strongest of them all.

He would kill the apprentice first and force the little blond boy to watch the life drain from her eyes. And then when the boy knew that despite all his magic, he was not able to stop him, the monster would rip him apart.

Heartbeat picking up at the prospect of sweet victory, the monster sulked in the shadows, grin widening at the panic in their voices as they called out for survivors. Ignoring their calls, he settled into darkness, waiting for them to draw closer.

All too soon, its prey appeared through the doors. With a savage cry, the monster leapt from its perch.

The Witch was wrong, it decided as it soared through the air. _Hitsuzen_ was wrong, the monster declared as it aimed for the little girl’s throat.

The monster was destined to win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is the only world we will be seeing my OC in. Ashura is more insane than he was in the manga but what else might have changed in your opinion?


	6. I am Finished with You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is where the story really begins to diverge from canon.

She couldn’t do this to him. Kurogane wanted to scream at the princess. How could she… she was forcing him to _leave!_ She had cursed him in return for all his tireless efforts to protect her. Couldn’t she see how dangerous the world was? Couldn’t she see that he had only been trying to keep her safe? Couldn’t she see that… he needed to be there to _protect_ her?

If she forced him to go on that journey, she would be left unprotected from that witch and Kurogane wouldn’t be where he needed to be. And… he would have to work for the man that had promised to bring his mother back. Kurogane had broken the promise to his father. He had failed to keep his mother safe and now… Tomoyo was going to make him fail at keeping her safe, too. Why could she not see it? What if she died while he was gone and he had to choose between her and his mother? He couldn’t choose between them.

If she forced him to leave, he could never return. Kurogane _knew_ he would never pick her over his mother but if she was dead, that would be one more promise broken. All these years, his loyalty had been to the Tsukoyomi alone but now she was discarding him.

Anger burned inside his veins, setting his blood aflame as he stared at the face. The tears flowing down her pale cheeks did nothing to lessen the intensity of her betrayal. The tendrils of her magic caressed his body, as gentle as her touch but it brought him not comfort, serving only to fuel his rage. She had taken back his father’s sword while casting the curse. And now she was throwing him away.

“Goodbye _Youou_. I hope you find what you are searching for.” Her whispered words followed him into the void as the magic carried him away but Kurogane only hardened his heart.

Tomoyo had known what she was doing to him and… he was never coming back.


	7. Come break me down

Fai crawled out of the pool, thanking Yuui with a soft smile as the latter brought him his coat.

He had done the unthinkable. Fai had owed Ashura his life but… Ashura had lost his mind to a dark curse in his blood. In hindsight, Fai could understand why his king had extracted the promise from Fai to kill whoever tried to hurt his people. At the time, he had never imagined that he would one day be fulfilling it by ending his sovereign’s life but the man had attack Fai’s apprentice. She had managed to dodge out of the way of the initial assault but Ashura had still managed to rip into her back. Seeing her injured was all that it took for his magic to take a life of its own and by the time Fai had managed to regain control, Ashura was no more.

But at least, his king had died with a smile on his face, so a part of Fai knew that Ashura had died in peace. Even insane, Ashura still had been the man who had pulled Fai out of that valley, so the knowledge that he had been the one to end his savior’s life tore at his insides like poisonous claws but— He pushed the guilt away, turning his attention instead to the unconscious girl lying on a conjured fur blanket next to the Ashura’s final resting place.

Fai was no fool, he had long since known that Ashura hadn’t taken him out of that valley solely out of the goodness of his heart, though the true purpose had remained out of his reach until now. In spite of his ulterior motives, the man had still taught Fai to take pride in who he was and shown him love and kindness and yet… Ashura had always intended for Fai to carry the burden of killing the man he saw as his father.

After taking care of his apprentice’s injuries, Fai had brought them both to the underground reservoir that the kind had loved so much, laying his body to rest in a coffin in its icy depths. Now, looking at the construct he had created in the image of his deceased brother from a magical feather, Fai felt at a momentary loss of what to do. He had made certain to take care of the life-threatening injuries of his apprentice. Though the wounds would leave scars, she would not die but… he couldn’t bring himself to take her back to the village she had once called home, himself.

“What will Fai do now?” Yuui’s question made him pause as he thought over the paths now open to him.

He had always known that there would come a day when he would have to leave this world behind and go to _that_ place. Now seemed as good a time for that as any. All his attempts at returning to valley of sinners had been met with failure so far, the place always nullifying his magic before he could reach it but… his brother was still there. Now that he no longer had a place to call home, perhaps, he could make good on his promise and retrieve his brother from that dead world and lay his remains to rest the way they truly deserved, just as he had done for Ashura. His brother deserved that much, at the very least.

Mind made up, he summoned his heavy winter coat and pulled it over his clothes, casting a quick spell to dry himself completely before coming to crouch next to his apprentice’s prone form. Tenderly caressing the side of her face with his gloved hands, Fai turned his attention to the construct.

“Please take her back to the village,” he instructed it, raising his fingers to cast a spell that would send the two away from the castle and… away from him. “Look after her for me until I return.” He hesitated for a moment. “If she asks, tell her I’m… I’m going back to Fai.”

His creation nodded, smiling much in the way he remembered his brother used to, as a way of confirmation before Fai’s magic whisked them away. Left alone beside the pool, Fai drew in a deep breath to gather himself. Letting it out in a harsh gust, Fai took in his surroundings for the last time.

“Good bye, Ashura-ou,” he murmured, glancing back at the pool once before casting the spell that would take him away from everything he had known and loved. Tendrils of his magic surrounded him, dissolving his physical form into something capable of travelling between dimensions as he headed for the one place that held the means to rescue his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there won’t be a Chii in this fic but you got a magical lookalike for the young Fai instead. I’m pretty sure you guys can guess what their wishes might be once they get Yuuko’s shop now, right?


	8. All for you

“This is my wishing shop,” Yuuko spoke for the benefit of the brunette and the warrior while the blond magician gave her a knowing smile, “and for a price, what you desire might be granted.”

She looked at the blond, taking in his shoulder length hair tied in a loose ponytail that hung to one side and knew that the magician was nothing like how the future had once shown him to be. But then again, neither was the warrior who eyed her warily, as though he almost expected her to draw swords and run him through at any moment. In addition, he lacked the sword that she was supposed to take as his payment, but then again, it was no longer his most precious possession. Their tragic pasts had shaped who they were, and their present selves and choices would determine who they would be in the future.

“Since you are all here, you all have something you want. If you can pay the price, I will be willing to grant your wish.”

“Please save Sakura!” The boy cried with so much emotion Yuuko almost felt sorry for what she was about to ask of the copy. Even if he was not a real person, he still possessed a heart and from the way he clutched at her lifeless body like a life, it was obvious that he truly loved her.

Yuuko kept an impassive face as she turned her attention towards the men. “What about you two?”

“I wish to return to _that_ world,” said the magician.

“I wish to never return to that world,” declared the warrior at the same time.

Yes. A lot more had changed than just their appearances. Their wishes had changed as well. And thus…their prices, too.

“What you all seek is impossible to pay for on your own. But if you are willing to share the price, you can help grant each others’ wishes.” She told the boy, “You wish to save the princess, but her memories are scattered through the dimensions and you will need to return them to her. As for the two of you, travelling through worlds is how you can achieve what you want. If you are willing to share the price, I can tell you what you have to give up.”

At receiving their confirmation, she continued. “For you, Kurogane, the payment will be your tattoo.” she said, nodding at the Dragon’s tattoo that was wrapped around his arm, “For you, Fai, it is the bejeweled dagger you carry. And for you and the princess, Syaoran, it will be your relationship.”

Neither of the former two had wanted to part with their most precious possessions, the warrior trying to hassle her into taking his armor instead and the magician offering up his staff, only to promise to make a return for the dagger when he had something of equivalent value- it had been a gift from his king, he said. The brunette agreed to pay the price in a heartbeat and she was saddened to see how things had remained the same for this pair even with the ripples distorting what was meant to be. Maybe some things were just… inevitable.

A short while later as the four children departed on the journey, Yuuko could only hope that Hitsuzen would still favor them over that man as they tried to get what they needed.


	9. Would it Kill You?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The journey has begun but more than just their wishes and prices has changed as the ripples continue to spread

The warrior refused to fight. He chose to avoid confrontations, either by intimidating his opponents into submissions or by shoving Fai in his place with a variant of ‘You’re a mage. You’re stronger than I am so you take care of it.’

While it was true that Fai’s magic made him a formidable opponent, he also knew that Kurogane was more than capable of beating the crap out of their opponents single-handedly. Yet whenever faced with a confrontation, it was Fai who was always stuck with the unpleasant task of dealing with their adversaries.

The very first world that they had landed in, the man had handled the Kudan-turned-sword like a seasoned warrior, showing off a high level of skill in armed combat. And then, as soon as the battle was over, he had sworn off of fighting and declared that his sovereign, the Lady Tomoyo, had cursed him to be unable to wield a sword again for the rest of his life. When Fai had pointed out that he had no problem using his Kudan as a sword, the man had merely shrugged and claimed that because it wasn’t an actual sword, the curse didn’t apply to his Kudan.

Fai wasn’t fooled. All those years spent at the royal court had allowed him to hone his skills to pick up on deception. Fai had to admit that the man was good but Fai could tell that the warrior was lying. Which was ironic given that the honor code of the warrior’s world demanded honesty and integrity as the very basis of its sacred martial arts.

Even so, Fai had no compunctions against using his magic to get them out of tight spots, even now and then but… honestly! Would it kill the stupid ninja to pull his own weight every once in a while?


	10. Purpose of my Existence

From the minute he first saw him, Kurogane had come to the decision that making life very difficult for the magician would be one of his missions for this journey. He wasn’t quite certain what exactly pushed him to it, but perhaps, it had been that idiotic smile that was pasted on the blond’s face as he greeted the witch. Or had it been the knowing look the magician had shot him when Kurogane had ‘plucked’ the feather from the boy’s cloak and handed it over for the princess.

There was no way in hell, the magician could have known that Kurogane had been carrying that feather with him for more than half his life… could he? After all, Kurogane had only done as _that_ man had instructed, keeping the feather with him for that very purpose but the way that the magician had looked at him… Thinking back on it, Kurogane decided that while the smile might have been irritating, it had been the _look_ that had cemented his dislike for the magician. So now, he would make the blond’s journey _hell._

The very first world they had landed in was where the group shared their stories. The kid and the princess had both been sent to the witch by the High Priest of their country. The mage had sent himself because the world he wished to go to did not accept his magic, and Kurogane had…Kurogane had been cursed and banished from his world as punishment for performing his duties. So now, he was never going to return. And because Kurogane had been cursed and banished for his skill, he refused to use it.

He was secretly delighted to discover that the mage didn’t like being forced to get them out of whatever trouble Kurogane discretely attracted towards their group. Of course, refusing to fight didn’t mean that he wouldn’t evade or deflect any attacks that came his way, but he refused to go on the offensive against their opponents. Kurogane knew he would, one day, have to break his oath and do what _that_ man demanded of him, but until then, Kurogane was content to let the blond do all the dirty work.

“I am not your personal manservant, Kuro-useless.” The blond would huff irritably after every scuffle they got into. “You need to start pulling your own weight.” He would add calmly as Kurogane would scream obscenities and death threats at the skinny mage. He did not miss the magician’s enjoyment at Kurogane’s explosive reactions to the mangling of his name, that bastard.

However, despite the hostile front he put up to keep his travel companions away from him, Kurogane knew that _he_ was getting attached to _them._ Why else, when they reached the world with oniis and hunters and cafes and stupid meowing cats, would he have agreed to teach the kid swordsmanship when the boy had come to ask?


	11. A Dysfunctional Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where things really begin to diverge from the manga.

Fai had been reluctant to take on another apprentice when he already had one back home, when the princess had come to him with that timid smile and eyes shining brightly with hope he didn’t have the heart to turn her away. She wanted to learn magic so that she could be of more use to their group. Being a part of the court, Fai had come to learn from a young age that everyone he ever met always had some hidden agenda behind their actions. Be it fame, fortune, being renowned for their kindness, good looks or money or a combination of any of these, men was selfish creatures by nature. No one was truly selfless. Even Ashura-ou had taken Fai in for his own goals.

Until he met the princess, Fai had firmly believed that no one ever did anything for someone else without hoping to gain something for themselves in return. But Princess Sakura… she was different. When she claimed that she wanted to learn magic to help the rest of them, Fai believed her.

Despite the frequent onii attacks Outo was a rather peaceful world. Considering how Fai took Syaoran out with him as his partner to hunt the demons each night, he didn’t see the harm in teaching the princess a thing or two about the basics of magic during the day. Fai had to admit to being surprised when the ninja announced that he would be taking on Syaoran as his own apprentice. So every afternoon, while Kurogane took the boy to the backyard to teach him warrior-y things, Fai would take the princess with him to a small park near the forest that surrounded Outo. It was a short walk from the small home that they had bought in the middle of town but it was a relatively safe area and they never had to worry about the onii during the day anyway.

It was in the park where Fai would spend time teaching the princess about her magic and sometimes self-defense and how to seal magical weapons and other objects. The princess was a quick study, soaking up his teachings like a sponge and two weeks into their training, Fai decided it was time to teach the use of a staff in spell casting. It would also double as a convenient weapon. After all, it was Fai’s duty as the teacher to ensure that his apprentice knew how to take care of herself. And so, the days passed, with both himself and Kurogane teaching their respective apprentices the tricks of their crafts.

Late at night when the kids, exhausted from the day’s activities, would go off to bed Fai would grab a bottle of alcohol and wander out to the porch. He would spend a couple of hours gazing at the sky and the stars and wonder about his home and his brother and his king and his apprentice. Sometimes, the ninja would join him and they would sit together in companionable silence. Fai knew he unnerved the other man at times because they both knew that he knew that the warrior was hiding something rather sinister right beneath his gruff demeanor and maybe once or twice Fai had even gone so far so as to hint that he knew. But despite it all, they were slowly becoming a rather dysfunctional sort of family and Fai discovered that he didn't mind that at all.


	12. Guardian gods

Moving on from Outo, they had somehow become separated from the kids and Mokona. Fai and Kurogane found themselves stranded in a place where ancient magic coiled through the very fabric of the world. Fai tried casting a locator spell to figure out where the others were but found that the world’s magic was interfering with his spells and the only thing he could determine was that their companions were somewhere else in the same world.

The discovery that Ashura was considered a guardian god in that world was rather unnerving for Fai but his shock had not been as great Kurogane’s when the two of them ended up meeting this world’s version of Lady Tomoyo. The woman had smiled at them serenely and bid them welcome into her shrine while they waited for their companions. With their destinies intertwined as they were, it was only a matter of time before the others would find their way to the shrine as well.

Lady Tomoyo had been a gracious host, helping them feel at home while they waited. In the days that followed, Fai realized that the ninja puzzled him. Even though his companion appeared to be rather straightforward and somewhat blunt at the first glance, his gruff exterior hid layers and layers of complexity in the man.

A week after their landing, Fai had taken a day to study the gardens surrounding the shrine, trying to pick at the source of the ancient magic. That evening he had returned to the shrine, only to realize that Lady Tomoyo and Kurogane were deep in a private conversation inside. Lady Tomoyo’s tone was soft and somewhat sorrowful as she offered words of consolation for the ninja, though Fai’s companion brushed her off rather harshly. The venom in Kurogane’s tone had startled Fai as the man had told the priestess to convey to his sovereign that he would never be returning after being tossed aside so callously by her.

Fai hadn’t meant to eavesdrop but moments later Kurogane had emerged from the shrine, looking thunderous and livid. They’d stood for a moment facing each other as guilt wormed its way into Fai’s heart but the moment was broken when Kurogane shoved his way past him and disappeared into the night.

The next time they met, the ninja pretended as though nothing out of the ordinary had taken place and Fai was content to follow his lead. It wasn’t his place to step in.


	13. Torn Masks

Kurogane hated the magician. He hated the man for everything he was and everything he stood for. From those rare smiles he gave to the children to the magic he possessed and used with abandon to help others, from the tips of his blond hair and pale skin to those piercing blue eyes that seemed to reach into the soul and pluck out the deepest and darkest of secrets. He was Kurogane’s antithesis and every moment that the Japanese warrior spent in the mage’s company made him acutely aware of his own shortcomings.

The blond reminded him of Tomoyo at times, with those unnaturally blue eyes that always seemed to know when Kurogane lied, leaving him exposed. Kurogane _hated_ feeling exposed. Being a warrior used to being one with the shadows while hunting his opponents, it was akin to suddenly being cast in the middle of a hall filled with mirrors that magnified the light to blinding intensities, laying bare his bloodied, blackened heart for the world to see.

He knew that Fai had overheard his explosive conversation with the shrine priestess and as much as Kurogane hated the feeling, he hated waiting for a confrontation that would never come even more. Why? Why was the mage who never let slip a chance to pry open his cracked masks leave this alone? Why was he pretending like nothing had happened? And why the hell did Kurogane feel so grateful to the bastard for leaving it alone?

True, it was the only bit of privacy Kurogane had left to himself when even his dreams were plagued by _that_ man and his commands and his nightmares were visions of his mother’s lifeless body and his father’s severed arm clutching on to the sword Tomoyo had taken from him. Kurogane was grateful to the mage for not prying and for that Kurogane only hated the man a little bit more.

 


	14. Seperated

Ancient magic spiraled out of control, resonating with Mokona’s magic, activating the dimension hopper’s powers without its consent. Fai tried to cast a spell to settle the creature’s magic only to have it rebound as darkness rushed up to engulf him.

Fai came to with a sense of wrongness in the air. Sitting up and looking around, he realized that he had been transported to a forest but it was a forest unlike any he had ever seen or even read about. There was magic in the air, thick and syrupy in consistency and warped and savage in temperament. Its immediate effects were visible in his surroundings for the trees were leafless with branches and trunks so twisted and gnarled, it was obvious the warping wasn’t natural. Goosebumps raced along his skin when Fai opened his senses to try and locate his companions. The forest reminded him of Ashura after the king had lost his mind, the feral magic interfering with his own and he quickly blocked it out, shuddering just a little as he tried to get rid of the ill feeling.

Trying to remain calm, Fai clambered to his feet and tried to cast a small locating spell. The world swayed around him and he fell to the ground in a limbless heap as his own magic rebelled and attacked him. Fai lay there, gasping for breath until Kurogane stepped out from between the twisted trees and approached him. The man was speaking to him but even if Fai’s ears were not ringing, he doubted he would have been able to understand the gibberish he was using. It was almost as though he was speaking another language _. Wait… He_ is _speaking another language!_

His heart sank as the realization struck. They were no longer in Mokona’s range. Which meant that he didn’t have one of Mokona’s secret 108 techniques protecting him from the effects of that world. No wonder his magic was turning back on him under the influence of forest’s warped magic. Mokona must still be stuck somewhere in the time-space warp it had created. He could only pray that the kids that were also with the dimension hopper.

If performing even such a basic locator spell had left him in such a pathetic state, the strain of trying to bring them here or to take them to Mokona would surely kill him. And so, Fai settled on trying to communicate this with the ninja without having to resort to using his magic.

 


	15. Warriors

The manju had swept them along in its magic and dumped Kurogane halfway up a tree. Normally it wouldn’t have been much effort for him to get down but with his cloak stuck in the tree’s gnarled branches, it took him a surprisingly long time to get to the ground. As if that hadn’t been enough for a shitty introduction to a new world, when he finally did find the mage, the idiot was lying on the ground and speaking in an gibberish that consisted of odd clicks and sounds that Kurogane had never even considered to be humanly possible. He tried telling the idiot that they needed to find the kids before something happened to them but the dumbass continued spouting gibberish.

It wasn’t until he noticed that the mage couldn’t seem to understand him either that he realized what had happened. After dumping him and the mage in a shithole forest, the manju had decided to land somewhere _else!_ Just what he needed. Getting stuck with the one person he couldn’t stand for Kami knows how long.

Before he could make his displeasure known, however, they were surrounded by the locals. The people were dressed in odd, partially-torn garbs, with their bodies painted in bright, vivid colors, each carrying a staff or a javelin decorated with equally bright feathers. Kurogane glanced at his companion and cursed himself for not buying a sword when he had the chance. For once, it didn’t look like that the blond was in any state to defend them with his magic.

The leader of the savages seemed to consider Kurogane for a moment before turning to address the mage, making sounds just like the ones the idiot had been making, though the clicks were more pronounced and the gibberish a little more clipped. Kurogane could feel the headache building as he listened to the thing talk, but the mage seemed to understand whatever he said as he brightened and responded with more gibberish. His explanation consisted of gesticulating in Kurogane’s direction, multiple times at that, but whatever the mage said, seemed to appease the savages surrounding them.

The savages lower their weapons and the two of them are welcomed with open arms and wide smiles. This was how Kurogane found himself inducted to a tribe of warrior mages, despite not possessing any magic of his own. He was given a weapon, a staff with wickedly curved steel blades on both ends and brought a small tree house. The mage continued grinning and prattling on for a long time after they were left alone by their hosts, seeming to take Kurogane’s silence in stride before remembering that Kurogane had no fucking idea what the idiot was blathering about. Looking a little pained, the mage cast a slip of a spell that settled around Kurogane’s throat and ears.

When the mage spoke again, it was finally in a proper, understandable tongue even if there was an echo of the clicking and the weird sounds.

“I’m afraid we don’t have a lot of time before the spell wears out so I’ll be quick,” the mage said before going on to explain their situation.

They had landed in a forest full of wild magic, though every night when the moonlight bathed the trees, the magic became more potent. That was when the Yasha clan of warrior mages would to the glass lake in the middle of the forest to fight against the warrior mages of the Ashura clan. Their hosts had been suspicious of Kurogane’s lack of magic but Fai had explained it away as part of a curse inflicted on him by a mage from the Ashura clan. The idiot had presented himself as a wandering mage, looking for a place to call home and the Yasha clan had agreed to house them for a while. But their stay came with the condition that they would have to participate in the nightly battles and that night would mark their initiation.

They were to be sent out to the glass lake that night, in order to be tested for their loyalties. If they won, they would be welcomed into the tribe, but if they were to fail, death awaited them. Before Kurogane could demand a better explanation however, the idiot’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as he collapsed, a trickle of blood leaking from his nose as evidence of the strain he had been under while casting the translation spell. For the rest of their stay with the Yasha clan, neither of them tried to use the spell for communication again.


End file.
